After the tightened restrictions on social media, the nationwide demand for virtual private networks (VPNs) has surged, more than tripling in response.
According to Top10VPN, an impartial VPN review website, the demand for VPN services in Pakistan increased by 102% on November 25 compared to the average daily demand over the previous 28 days.
On November 26, the demand for VPNs reached a new all-time high of 213% over the baseline. This increase occurred when news spread that the government had imposed restrictions on the use of WhatsApp to share media in the lead-up to the protests planned by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Social Media Access Challenges Across Pakistan
Downdetector.com, which detects when social networks or websites are down, reported that Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok are among the platforms experiencing disruptions in Pakistan.
Not knowing the official reason for the restrictions, citizens have expressed dissatisfaction with the inconveniences. Accessing social platforms after activating VPNs improves their functionality.
The government confirmed that they were going to cut off internet service in places where security was a concern, but they didn’t say anything about social media sites. Slow Internet access is another problem users encounter when using VPNs to access social media platforms.
Many Punjabi cities, like Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujrat, Rajanpur, and Multan, have experienced interruptions in their internet connections. Internet service outages have been reported in these localities.
